Wing nut

ABSTRACT

A wing nut includes a body having a sidewall that surrounds a central opening. The central opening is threaded along a threaded portion having a threaded length extending from the back end towards the front end of the body. At least two wings are integrated with the sidewall and extend away from the sidewall in a radial direction relative to the centerline. A rib extend peripherally around the sidewall in a radially outward direction such that a wall thickness of the sidewall increases to a maximum value moving along the centerline away from the rear end, and decreases along the centerline moving towards the front end from the maximum value.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/153,992, filed Oct. 8, 2018 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,941,805), which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent disclosure relates generally to pumping conduits and, moreparticularly, to wing nuts used to connect conduit sections for pumpingoperations.

BACKGROUND

Pumping operations using conduits in which high, cyclically appliedstresses are known. For example, pumping operations in industries likehydraulic fracking (or “fracking”), concrete pouring, well service, andothers, include pumps that send fluids having high viscosity and/orunder large pressure through conduits. The conduits are typically madefrom pipe sections that are connected to one another using threadednuts. The nuts include wings that provide the ability to apply torque totighten or loosen the nuts, often by use of a sledge hammer or ahydraulic hammer to provide the large impact loading or toque requiredto install or uninstall the nuts.

Traditionally, wing nuts for such pumping operations are known to have alimited service life due to the extreme conditions of their use andinstallation. Often, the wings on nuts become deformed from repeatedloading during nut installation. Additionally, the nuts are prone tocracks when the pipe segments they are used to connect are subject tobending loads, and to fatigue failures when subjected to cyclicalpressure loading from the incompressible fluid being pumped at highpressure within the pipe segments.

One example of a known wing nut can be seen in WO 2016/205208(“Witkowski”), which describes a wing nut having a “full root radius”and an “increased wall thickness.” While the wing nut of Witkowski mayrepresent an improvement over known wing nuts, it is still ineffectivein improving all aspects of use and operation of wing nuts.

SUMMARY

The disclosure describes, in one aspect, a wing nut. The wing nutincludes a body having a generally cylindrical shape extending along acenterline. The body includes a sidewall that surrounds a centralopening. The sidewall includes an outer peripheral surface having afront end and a rear end, and extending over a length along thecenterline. The central opening is threaded along a threaded portionhaving a threaded length extending from the back end towards the frontend, the threaded portion having a thread shape. At least two wings areintegrated with the sidewall and extend away from the sidewall in aradial direction relative to the centerline. A rib extends peripherallyaround the sidewall, in a radially outward direction along an outersurface of the sidewall such that a wall thickness of the sidewallincreases to a maximum value moving along the centerline away from therear end, and decreases along the centerline moving towards the frontend from the maximum value. The maximum value of the wall thickness isdisposed at an axial location that overlaps an end of the threadedlength.

In another aspect, the disclosure describes a wing nut. The wing nutincludes a body having a generally cylindrical shape extending along acenterline. The body includes a sidewall that surrounds a centralopening. The sidewall includes an outer peripheral surface having afront end and a rear end, and extending over a length along thecenterline. The central opening is threaded along a threaded portionhaving a threaded length extending from the back end towards the frontend. The threaded portion has a thread shape. Three wings are integratedwith the sidewall and extend away from the sidewall in a radialdirection relative to the centerline. Each wing has a curved outer face,which generally follows a circular shape of the sidewall. The threadshape includes a plurality of internal threads, each internal threadformed by an internal crest and a root portion. The internal crest isflat and the root portion is rounded such that the root portion istangential to both adjacent thread flanks. The threaded portionterminates at a thread release undercut, which axially spans between thethreaded portion and a flange. The flange is disposed adjacent the frontend of the body. The body further comprises a guide bore defined axiallybetween the flange and front end of the body.

In yet another aspect, the disclosure describes a wing nut. The wing nutincludes a body having a generally cylindrical shape extending along acenterline. The body includes a sidewall that surrounds a centralopening. The sidewall includes an outer peripheral surface having afront end and a rear end, and extends over a length along thecenterline. The central opening is threaded along a threaded portionhaving a threaded length extending from the back end towards the frontend, and has a thread shape. Three wings are integrated with thesidewall and extend away from the sidewall in a radial directionrelative to the centerline. A rib extends peripherally around thesidewall. The rib extends radially outwardly along an outer surface ofthe sidewall such that a wall thickness of the sidewall increases to amaximum value moving along the centerline away from the rear end, anddecreases along the centerline moving towards the front end from themaximum value. The maximum value of the wall thickness is disposed at anaxial location that overlaps an end of the threaded length. Each winghas a curved outer face, which generally follows a circular shape of thesidewall. Each wing also has a corresponding lug centerline extendingparallel to, but at an offset distance from, a corresponding radius ofthe central opening that intersects the centerline at a center point,and includes a forward facing side surface and a reverse facing sidesurface, the forward and reverse facing side surfaces being planar andeach being parallel to the centerline. A width of each forward facingside face is larger than a width of each reverse facing side face.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are outline views from different perspectives of a wingnut in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a wing nut in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a wing nut in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an outline view from a front and side perspective of a wingnut in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a wing nut in accordance with thedisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure relates to pumping system conduits and, moreparticularly, to wing nuts for connecting segments of pipe or conduitssuch as those used in fracking, concrete pumping, well servicing and thelike in the oil and gas, construction and other industries. In theembodiment illustrated herein, the wing nut is used on a hammer unionfor connecting two pipe segments that are used to transfer fluids underpressure during oilfield service or production operations.

One embodiment of a wing nut 100 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 from a frontand rear perspective to illustrate the major aspects thereof. The wingnut 100 includes a body 102 having a generally hollow cylindrical shapethat includes a sidewall 103 and a threaded opening 104. The sidewall103 is ring-shaped and has a length, L, along an axial direction of acenterline, R, and a wall thickness, T, in a radial direction relativeto the centerline R. The wall thickness T varies along the length L ofthe wing nut, as is described in the description that follows in furtherdetail.

The wing nut 100 includes three lugs or wings 106 disposed along anouter surface 108 of the sidewall 103 disposed along equally spacedangles along the periphery of the sidewall 103. Each of the three wings106 extends axially along at least a portion of the length L of the body102. The body 102 forms a front annular face 110 and a rear annular face112, which are planar and perpendicular to the centerline R at eitherend of the body 102 in a lengthwise direction along the centerline R.The threaded opening 104 is surrounded by an internal threaded portion114 and terminates at a flange 116 adjacent the front annular face 110.

An outline view from a front perspective of the wing nut 100 is shown inFIG. 3 . As shown in this view, each wing 106 has a generallytrapezoidal shape defined between a forward facing side face 118 and areverse facing side face 120. During installation, a user may strike orotherwise engage the forward facing side face 118 and apply a force thatproduces a torque in a tightening direction to install the wing nut 100,which in the orientation shown in FIG. 3 would tend to turn the wing nut100 in a clockwise direction. Similarly, striking or otherwise engagingthe reverse facing side face 120 would produce a torque in a looseningdirection to remove the wing nut 100, which in the orientation shown inFIG. 3 would tend to turn the wing nut 100 in a counter-clockwisedirection. The shape of the wing 106 includes a curved outer face 122,which generally follows the circular shape of the sidewall 103 insteadof being flat or, stated differently, instead of being parallel to atangent of the outer periphery of the sidewall 103.

Each wing 106 has a corresponding lug centerline 124, which extendsparallel to, but is offset by a distance, D, from a corresponding radius126 that extends to the center point, C, of the threaded opening 104,which center point C also lies on the centerline R (FIG. 1 ). In otherwords, the three lug centerlines 124 of the three wings 106, ifextended, would form an equilateral triangle (illustrated in FIG. 3 ),the center of which would coincide with the center point C. Because ofthe offset D between the lug centerline 124 and the corresponding radius126, a width of the forward and reverse facing side faces 118 and 120will differ, with a width W1 of each forward facing side face 118 beinglarger than the width W2 of each reverse facing side face 120. As aconsequence, the forward facing side faces 118 present a larger striketarget to facilitate tightening during installation of the wing nut 100.

Both the forward and reverse facing side faces 118 and 120 form anincluded angle, 2α, with the lug centerline, with each being disposed atan angle α relative to lug centerline 124. In the illustratedembodiment, the angle α is 15 degrees, but other angles may be used. Theselection of a larger included angle will act to lengthen the widths W1and W2. A larger offset distance D in the direction shown will lengthenthe width W1 and shorten the width W2. It should be appreciated that, inthe event a larger width is desired in the loosening direction, theoffset may be taken on the opposite side of the centerline, in whichcase the width W2 will become larger than the width W1 (not shown).Stated differently, the lug and wing nut would appear as a mirror imageof the embodiment shown herein.

Selection of the offset distance D, and also the included angle, is amatter of design choice and depends on the dimension or ratio between W1and W2 that is desired for a particular application. It should beappreciated that, in addition to presenting a larger target for strikingthe wing nut in a tightening direction, the offset location of the wingsalso serves in internally redirecting the direction of application ofthe tightening impulse force in a more tangential direction relative tothe threaded opening 104, which reduces internal stresses actingtransversely within the sidewall 103. It should also be appreciated thatthe curved shape of the curved outer face 122 strengthens the outercorners 128 of each wing 106 by increasing their included angle andmaterial thickness at each corner as compared to a wing design having aflat or tangentially-extending outer surface relative to the threadedopening 104.

Still in reference to FIG. 3 , it can be seen that each forward-facingside of the wings 106 includes two raised ridges 130, which can providevisual contrast. Of course, the shape, orientation and number of ridges130 may be different than what is shown in FIG. 3 .

To further increase the strength and resilience of the wing nut 100, arib 132 is disposed generally peripherally around the sidewall 103 at anaxial location that lies generally at a termination of the threadedportion 114. More particularly, and in further reference to FIGS. 4, 5,and 6 , the rib 132 may extend entirely in segments between adjacentwings 106, as shown by the dashed line 134 (shown in FIG. 3 ), or it mayalternatively be interrupted by radial depressions 136 in areas adjacentthe forward facing side face 118. As can be seen in FIG. 5 , the radialdepressions 136 decrease the height of the rib 132 to more readilyprovide access for the user to strike the forward facing side face 118when installing the wing nut 100, to improve accuracy of the strike ontothat surface, and to reduce the frequency of corner-only strikes, whichtraditionally have been known to lead to damage of wing nuts. As can beseen from FIG. 4 , and also FIG. 6 , a side profile of the rib 132indicates that the wall thickness T of the sidewall tends to graduallyincrease and then gradually decrease along the axial length L of thebody 102. A maximum thickness of the sidewall 103, which is referred toherein as the rib 132, is axially disposed around at a length of about0.4*L from the front annular face 110, but other locations may be used.In the illustrated embodiment, the maximum thickness is axially locatedto overlap an end of the threaded length of the threaded portion 114along the centerline.

Referring now to FIG. 6 , which illustrates a cross section through thewing nut 100, it can be seen that the threaded portion 114 partiallyextends along an inner portion of the threaded opening 104 from the rearannular face 112 towards the front annular face 110 along the centerlineR, and includes a plurality of internal threads. Each internal thread ismade from an internal crest or inner diameter portion 138 and an outerdiameter portion or root portion 140. The threads are designed accordingto a modified thread standard, for example, a J-series screw thread, inwhich the inner diameter portion 138 is flat, but the root portion 140is rounded such that the root becomes is tangential to both adjacentthread side faces or flanks. In this way, sharp roots are avoided, whichcan create stress concentrations, and fatigue strength of the wing nutis improved.

The threaded portion 114 terminates at a thread release undercut 142,which as can be seen in FIG. 6 axially spans between the threadedportion 114 and the flange 116. The thread release undercut 142 isconstructed to provide an unthreaded portion in which a leading portionof the mating inner thread (not shown) of the pipe segment (not shown)onto which the wing nut 100 will be installed may be disposed when thewing nut is installed to ensure that little deformation occurs in thatarea for a proper seating of the flange 116 against a blunt end flangeof the pipe section. The thread release undercut 142 also providesclearance for a more precise cutting of the threaded portion 114. Aguide bore 144 is axially disposed between the thread release undercut142 and the front annular face 110. The guide bore 144 helps center andsecure the wing nut 100 onto the pipe section (not shown) it connects.As can be further seen in FIGS. 4 and 6 , a first edge 610 of the wing106 is coplanar with a first edge 612 of sidewall 103. The first edge610 of the wing 106 is along the front annular surface 110. A secondedge 620 of the wing 106 is a transition surface extending from thecurved outer face 122 to a second edge 622 of the sidewall 103. Thesecond edge 622 of the sidewall 103 is along the rear annular face 112.The curved outer face 122 is between the first edge 610 of the wing 106and the second edge 620 of the wing 106. The second edge 622 of thesidewall 103 is parallel to the first edge 612 of the sidewall 103.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present disclosure applicable to wing nuts for use when connectingpipe sections or segments.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing description provides examplesof the disclosed system and technique. However, it is contemplated thatother implementations of the disclosure may differ in detail from theforegoing examples. All references to the disclosure or examples thereofare intended to reference the particular example being discussed at thatpoint and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope ofthe disclosure more generally. All language of distinction anddisparagement with respect to certain features is intended to indicate alack of preference for those features, but not to exclude such from thescope of the disclosure entirely unless otherwise indicated.

Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as ashorthand method of referring individually to each separate valuefalling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and eachseparate value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. All methods described herein can beperformed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context.

We claim:
 1. A wing nut comprising: a body comprising a threaded borethat terminates at a flange adjacent a front annular face of the body,the threaded bore defining a tightening direction and a looseningdirection opposite the tightening direction; and a plurality of wings, awing, of the plurality of wings, comprising: a forward facing side facethat is configured for engagement of the forward facing side face toproduce a torque in the tightening direction to install the wing nut,and a reverse facing side face that is configured for engagement of thereverse facing side face to produce a torque in the loosening directionto remove the wing nut, the forward facing side face being disposed atan angle relative to a lug centerline of the wing, the reverse facingside face being disposed at an angle equal to the angle relative to thelug centerline, the lug centerline extending parallel to, but at anoffset distance from, a corresponding radius that extends from the wingto a center point of the threaded bore, and a first width of the forwardfacing side face being larger than a second width of the reverse facingside face.
 2. The wing nut of claim 1, wherein the forward facing sideface presents a larger strike target than the reverse facing side face.3. The wing nut of claim 1, wherein the wing nut includes only threewings, and wherein the three wings include the plurality of wings. 4.The wing nut of claim 1, wherein the wing has a generally trapezoidalshape defined between the forward facing side face and the reversefacing side face.
 5. The wing nut of claim 1, wherein the wing furthercomprises a curved outer surface between the forward facing side faceand the reverse facing side face.
 6. The wing nut of claim 5, whereinthe curved outer surface generally follows a circular shape of asidewall of the body.
 7. The wing nut of claim 1, wherein a rib isdisposed peripherally around a sidewall of the body.
 8. The wing nut ofclaim 7, wherein a side profile of the rib indicates that a wallthickness of the sidewall increases and decreases along an axial lengthof the body.
 9. The wing nut of claim 1, further comprising: a radialdepression in an area adjacent the forward facing side face.
 10. Thewing nut of claim 1, wherein the wing further comprises one or moreraised ridges between the forward facing side face and the reversefacing side face.
 11. The wing nut of claim 1, wherein engagement of theforward facing side face comprises striking the forward facing sideface.
 12. A wing nut comprising: a body comprising a threaded opening,the threaded opening defining a clockwise direction and acounter-clockwise direction opposite the clockwise direction; a firstwing; and a second wing, the first wing comprising: a forward facingside face that is configured for engagement of the forward facing sideface to turn the wing nut in the clockwise direction, and a reversefacing side face that is configured for engagement of the reverse facingside face to turn the wing nut in the counter-clockwise direction, theforward facing side face being disposed at an angle α relative to a lugcenterline of the first wing, the reverse facing side face beingdisposed at an angle equal to the angle α relative to the lugcenterline, and the lug centerline extending parallel to, but at anoffset distance from, a corresponding radius that extends from the firstwing to a center point of the threaded opening.
 13. The wing nut ofclaim 12, wherein the forward facing side face and the reverse facingside face are planar.
 14. The wing nut of claim 12, wherein a firstwidth of the forward facing side face being larger than a second widthof the reverse facing side face.
 15. The wing nut of claim 12, whereinthe forward facing side face presents a larger strike target than thereverse facing side face.
 16. The wing nut of claim 12, wherein theangle α relative to the lug centerline is 15 degrees.
 17. A wing nutcomprising: a body comprising a sidewall; and a plurality of wings, afirst edge of a wing, of the plurality of wings, being coplanar with afirst edge of the sidewall, a second edge of the wing being a transitionsurface extending from an outer surface of the wing to a second edge ofthe sidewall, the outer surface of the wing being between the first edgeof the wing and the second edge of the wing, the second edge of thesidewall being parallel to the first edge of the sidewall, a forwardfacing side face, of the wing, being disposed at an angle relative to alug centerline of the wing, a reverse facing side face, of the wing,being disposed at an angle equal to the angle relative to the lugcenterline, the lug centerline extending parallel to, but at an offsetdistance from, a first radius that extends from a centerline of the wingnut to the outer surface of the wing, and the first radius being longerthan a second radius from the centerline of the wing nut to an outersurface of the sidewall.
 18. The wing nut of claim 17, wherein the outersurface of the wing is a curved outer surface that follows a circularshape of the sidewall.
 19. The wing nut of claim 17, wherein the wingnut includes only three wings, and wherein the three wings include theplurality of wings.
 20. The wing nut of claim 17, further comprising: arib that is disposed around the outer surface of the sidewall.